License-plate unit



March 15, 1927. 4

A. H. HUMPHREY LICENSE PLATE UNIT Filed Dec. 5.A 1925 INVENTOR WjredJLHmp rey ATTORNEYS WITNESSES Patented Mar. 15, 1927.

yUrrno STATES A r tannin Nr HC1 ALFRED HoEATIo HuMrHnEY, 0E SALEM' NEW YORK,

`L'IoEnsE-rmi'rn Unir. y

Application iled December l My invention relates to license plates, particularly to a hinged license plate mounted on a casing adapted,'in practice, tofbe illu-k minated ,for increasing the visibility of the.

perforated characters, letters and numbers of the license plate. y v

1 V,The general object of my invention isto provide a hinged license Vplate characterized by an inseparable connectionv between "the hinge elements and of such a character as to' require the plate tov be mutilated or l destroyed Vin order to be removed.

as indicated by the line 3-3, Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detail in horizont-alk section on an enlarged scale as indicated by the line 1 -4, Figure 2;

F igur-e 5 is a detail in section in the plane of the hinge showing the hinge open, that is, the license plate swung to an open position. t

In carrying out my invention in accordance with the illustrated example, a casing 10 is provided, here shown as flaring and Y thereo adapted to receive at the back thereof a singlelamp 11 or equivalent light-producing means to illuminate the face plate 12. Said face -plate has perforated characters 13 ap-Y pearin illuminated by the light at the back passing through the perforations. At the back of the f ace plate 12 is a'sheet of transpicuous material 14 usually of celluloid and heldin place in any suitable manner as by clips 15.

In accordance with my invention, I provide means to hingedly and inseparably secure the face plate 12 to the casinglO. In the illustrated example one hinge butt 16 is welded or otherwise permanently fastened to the casing 10 at a side edge thereof and said i hinge. butt is formed with knuckles 17. A

second hinge butt 18 is secured by abolt 19 81925.' serial- No. .74,105.

to the face plate 12 in amanne'r hereinafter described and has a hinge knuckle 20.v hinge pin 211passes through Vthe knuckles 17, 20 fand completes the hinge. A

Means are provided at the Iends of the pin l.to prevent removal or any axial movement l thereof. An elongated pin-retaining element 22 iswelded to the 'casing 10 'and one end thereo'f23 overlies the hinge pin 21 and has a concave depression 24 to receive the corresponding end of the hinge pin.l p A 4 hardened -pinfretaining element 22y is'provided at each end-of the pin`21 and' welded to the casing 10.*"A Thus, therecan be no separation of the license plate `by removal ofthe hinge'pin'21. f

The bolt 19 'that secures the one hinge butt to the face plate 12 is passed through a b-olt hole 25 in plate 12 near the hinge end and the material of said4 plate is then turned back and caused to covery the head of the bolt as at 26, the terminal edge'portion 27 of the turned-'over portion 26 being welded to the face of the' plate. The head of thev bolt is therefore made inaccessible from the front of the plate and the turned-over and weldedV portion 26, 27 must be cut away before the f.

bolt can be reached to be removed as by unauthorizedy parties.

The bolt is made irreinovable from the interior of the casing 10 at vtlre back of the late 12 by means of a nut 28 applied to said olt 19 after the latter has passed through the hinge butt 18. To lock the nut 28 a screw 29 is engaged partly with the bolt andpartlyl with the nut 28 and then fastening screw 29 is broken olf or cut ott flush with the face lof the nut and with the end of the bolt so as to lbey irremovable. All exposedv parts of the hardened.

` It will be seen that the elements 22 prevent 'the separation of the hinge by removal of plate fastener and hinge are the hinge pin 21 and that the head of the bolt is made inaccessible by the turned-over material of the 'face plate 12 and finally that the nut 28 is made irremovable by the nut'- locking screw 29. Hence,the plate 12 must be destroyed. or very materially mutilated or the hinge cut olf or removed by a torch before the license plate 12 can be removed for the substitution of another.

casing 10 is welded.

loo

The letter A indicates an automobile part to which the f v I have shown a turnable latch element` 30 for fastening the s. free end of the license illustrated,lsiicgmanifestly, Vconsicherabl'v varied vvlthout departurev from plate 19E and it will be understood that s'aid latch is a common expedient andv forms' no part of the present invention. Also, a border 31 is provided on-v thev casing `10' surrounding the license plate l2, but the border may be omitted. l

VI Would state furthermore Vthatwhile the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself strictly to the exact details herein' the same can be the spiritofv the invention. y

Having was, described invention', i c'lain'f. Y t

I. lzeil'llse fjlat'e unit'including` a'vcasinig, members inte4 "al rspectivelywviththe cas# ing and With said license plate, aii'drirrei movable means hi,Iigedlyy uniting said mein# bers'g" together- With means additional .to4 said integralmemb'ers to prevent separation yof the, license Y plteyfrom the' easing at vthe 2; A'. license plate unit lcludinga license plate,l supporting@ means'- for said? plate, a

hinge having a member inseparably' held to said' supporting means, a second member on saidv hinge and swirl-gable' relatively to said first member, and a bolt uniting said second.

hinge member to the license plate, a portion of Vsaid license plate being turned over the boltA head concea'l'iirglthe same to make said bolt heady inaccessible, the turned-over (p0rtion being irremovably fastened in position. 3'. A license plate unit including a' license plate, supporting means for said plate, hinge said hinge and svvingable' relatively te said i'irst member, and a lbolt unitingI said second hinge' member to the license pl'ate,'a porticn of'said: license plate ybeing turned-over the bolt head concealing the'4 same to? make said belt head inaccessible, thel turned-Over portion beingl irr'emovabljf fastened in positiefi; together withl a' nutpon the bolt', and nle'ans to irremvably lock said nut'rto the bolt. Y

ALFRED HORATIO 'n having a member inseparably to said supporting means, a second member on 

